In this opening episode of our special series with zamus for the “Creating New Spaces” Decolonisation Symposium, we explore the colonial shadows cast over the world of early music. Historian and activist Dr. Rahab Njeri speaks about decolonial aesthetics and the need to reclaim artistic spaces through marginalized and indigenous forms of knowledge.

https://frauengeschichtsverein.de/2023/08/22/dr-des-rahab-njeri/

We then turn to musician and researcher Jorge Silva, who guides us through the African and South American origins of familiar Baroque dances. What colonial narratives are hidden in the elegant sarabande—and what happens when we start to listen differently?

https://www.jorgesilvahpd.com/

Timecodes

00:00 – Intro & ZAMUS collaboration

01:18 – Dr. Rahab Njeri: Picasso & African art

03:01 – Cultural appropriation spectrum

04:31 – Critical diversity

06:15 – Institutional change

07:35 – Power vs. African philosophy

09:11 – Empathy & decoloniality

11:24 – Gaze into the future

13:00 – Jorge Silva: Baroque dance & origins

14:27 – Hidden narratives in dance

16:19 – The sarabande’s transformation

18:40 – Performance & research

20:52 – Lundu & Brazilian sources

23:45 – Generational trauma & music

26:23 – Layers of history in Baroque

27:40 – Being a musician today

28:35 – Outro

Music in this episode from the playlist of Midori Seiler: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQt6ev5eI6q_ZyMJrIyN898Fd0RGuxkug&si=h6sx4-49tD48Ugr4

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